WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The new head of a
congressional panel investigating the 2012 attack on U.S. diplomatic
facilities in Benghazi, Libya, criticized on Wednesday some Republicans'
use of the deadly incident to raise campaign funds.

During an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program,
Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina was asked whether he
would appeal to his fellow Republicans to stop such fundraising
efforts.

"Yes, and I will cite myself as an example. I have never sought to
raise a single penny on the backs of four murdered Americans," said
Gowdy, the newly appointed chairman of the special House of
Representatives committee.

The September 11, 2012, attack resulted in the death of U.S.
Ambassador Christopher Stevens and another diplomat. The next day,
an attack on another U.S. facility in Benghazi killed two guards.

The National Republican Congressional Committee, which seeks

to elect Republicans to the House, showcases Benghazi-related
fundraising appeals on its website.

"Stand with House Republicans as we continue to hold Democrats
accountable for the truth of what happened in Benghazi," one appeal
states. "Help fight liberals by donating today."

Another features a photo of Gowdy, calling him the "Chief Benghazi
Watchdog."

"The Obama administration has not been honest with the American
people with regards to Benghazi," said NRCC spokeswoman Andrea
Bozek. She added: "If Nancy Pelosi becomes speaker, the American
people will never know the truth. Our goal is to hold Democrats in
Congress accountable who continue to try to sweep this controversy
under the rug."

Republican-led House committees have been investigating the attack
since 2012. Now, Republicans are creating a special committee to
look into the matter, despite Democrats' insistence that the
violence in Libya at the U.S. compound has been thoroughly probed.

At a brief news conference on Wednesday, House Speaker John Boehner
said it was "time for us to bring this together into one place and
to focus our effort."

Boehner added that the investigation, contrary to Democrats'
allegations, "is not going to be a circus. This is a serious
investigation."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest, speaking to reporters aboard Air
Force One as they traveled with President Barack Obama to Arkansas
and California, said: "I think that the fact that the National
Republican Congressional Committee is raising money off the creation
of this committee is a pretty good indication of the political
motivation that's at work here."

He added that the Obama administration had produced "extensive
materials to support a wide range of other investigations that have
already been conducted."

Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state when the attack occurred
and has been criticized by Republicans for her handling of the
incident, told a forum in New York: "There are a lot of reasons why
despite all of the hearings, all of the information that has been
provided, some choose not to be satisfied and choose to continue to
move forward.

"That's their choice and I do not believe there is any reason for it
to continue in this way, but they get to call the shots in the
Congress," Clinton said in comments televised on U.S. media.

Clinton is considered the Democratic front-runner if she enters the
race for president in 2016.